With the March beginning of the 2024 NFL free agency period on the horizon, what will the Denver Broncos do with quarterback Russell Wilson?
Many observers have suggested where Wilson could go if he’s released by the Broncos this offseason, but former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum made perhaps the most outlandish pitch of them all.
Tannenbaum, the Jets’ GM from 2006 to 2014, said his former team would be a “great fit” for the star as a backup to four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
“I actually think he’d be a great fit with the New York Jets, and here’s why,” Tannenbaum said on the February 19 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.” “Pay him a million dollars and let him resurrect his career. I actually have experience with this. Vinny Testaverde got cut by the Baltimore Ravens. We signed him in June [in 1998] and went to the [AFC] Championship game that year.”
Dan Graziano was incredulous over Mike Tannenbaum’s suggestion that Russell Wilson could be backing up Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets next season. That led to Bart Scott checking his coffee mug as well.
Analyst Bart Scott, a Jets linebacker from 2009 to 2012, threw his hands up as Tannenbaum spoke. At one point, Scott humorously looked inside Tannenbaum’s mug to check what he was drinking.
Tannenbaum was unfazed by his peers’ bewilderment as he continued.
“Where else is he gonna go? He has to resurrect his career,” Tannenbaum said. “So if you have to sit for a year, why not sit behind one of the greatest of all time and then be a free agent again?”
He then argued that Wilson, who will be 36 in November, is unlikely to receive a starting job and will be forced “to be a backup somewhere.”
Mike Tannenbaum Doubled Down on Russell Wilson-to-Jets Pitch
Pitching Wilson to the Jets is already out there, yet the former GM was not about to backtrack.
Tannenbaum doubled down on his take on the February 20 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” joking that the internet was “unanimously supportive.”
“The Jets last year, of all the things that happened, they missed big time on a backup quarterback,” Tannenbaum said. “They need a veteran quarterback who’s going to be inexpensive, and at some point, Russell Wilson’s going to have to determine: ‘Do I want to continue playing?'”
He said that joining the Jets would be a “marriage of convenience” for Wilson. The ESPN analyst again argued that Wilson will probably not be a starter anywhere in 2024.
While Tannenbaum acknowledged his pitch was “out of the box,” he said believed it “could work for one year.”
Plus, with Rodgers coming off a significant injury, Wilson could fill in for a team with playoff aspirations.
“If I’m the Jets with a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers coming off an Achilles tendon injury, they can’t count on him playing 17 games,” Tannenbaum said.
Would Russell Wilson Make Sense for the Jets?
Having Wilson being forced to settle for a backup spot was already far-fetched. However, could it be crazy enough to work?
The Jets need an upgrade behind Rodgers because third-year quarterback Zach Wilson was not that guy in 2023.
Wilson threw only eight touchdown passes in 12 games, including 11 starts last season. New York went 4-7 in those 11 starts as the Jets missed the playoffs for the 13th consecutive year.
In comparison, Wilson had a 26-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 15 starts for the Broncos. He was benched for Jarrett Stidham after a 26-23 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 16.
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Former NFL GM Makes Pitch for Russell Wilson to Back Up Aaron Rodgers